I grew up in the midwest in a family that had voted Republican back to Lincoln and whose men had served in every major conflict since the Revolution. Military service was always an honorable calling in my family, so after high school (prodded on by no job skills or money for college) I joined the Navy. I served six years on active duty, left to start a family, went to college, and eventually became an high school English teacher. In 1994 I joined the Army Reserve to supplement my teaching salary, eventually switching to the Army National Guard after moving to Massachusetts.

I've always been concerned about issues of social justice and peace, a commitment that has only deepened over the years. I believed for a long time that there wasn't a conflict between my beliefs and my military service, and I still believe that a person can be principled and serve in the military (who would want a military filled with unprincipled people?). However, watching the way that the military has been manipulated & used to advance right-wing ideology, particularly over the past eight years, underscored by my experiences in Kuwait and Iraq, made it impossible for me to continue in uniform. I retired in 2007.

After my return from Iraq, I became active with IVAW and Veterans for Peace. I gave my first speech three weeks after I returned, and it seemed like I gave another one every few weeks. Two months after my return I was diagnosed with PTSD. The political work took its toll, and in late 2007 I decided to not only stop speaking and attending events but also to avoid the news and conversations about anything more controversial than the weather. I need time to heal. Slowly, I feel like I'm returning to the world of the living.

Shortly before I retired in 2007, I was called in to speak with my CO. Evidently the state's Adjutant General was aware of my activities and wasn't happy. (My suspicion is that word came down from somewhere else, but that's only a guess.) Because I always made it plain that I was speaking as a civilian, there was nothing they could do to me via the UCMJ. I did, however, get a counseling statement which stated that I was not to criticize the president. Since I had only a few weeks left before retirement, I signed it, albeit with comment. I walked away feeling good, ironically enough; clearly my speaking was effective enough to irritate someone with a lot of brass on his shoulders.